Upside Down Moon Watching

Qatari Moon, 2012

photo credit: Mary Toula Bacandreas Gentile

 

 

Sun casts a shadow on the moon

As the earth spins round and round.

Sometimes it seems the moon smiles up

Sometimes it grins upside down.

 

 

The moon looks different depending upon where you are in the world.  In the northern hemisphere, light shines on the moon from a clockwise direction, causing it to wax and wane from left to right.  In the southern hemisphere, light shines counter clockwise resulting in the opposite movement.

 

In the northern hemisphere, the first quarter looks like a growing D

while in the southern hemisphere it looks like a C

-PrimaryHomeworkhelp

 

In places near-ish the equator, like Qatar, the first quarter of the moon grins upside down in an "n" shape while the last quarter smiles up in a "u."

 

What does the moon look like where you are?

 

Moon over Qatar
February 16, 2014

 

poem copyright 2014, Lucinda H. Kennaley

top photo credit to the illustrious and talented once-an-expat, Mary Toula Bacandreas Gentile.  Thanks, Mary!!